Yet it seems to be our duty to try to do what we can to make it a more Godly world while we're here, to express our constant praise and sheer gratitude for the blessings that Our Lord has entrusted unto our stewardship and care.
But then, what is the meaning you ascribe to "the world?" Is this "nature," or something else?
Well, if Nature, we must recall that our Lord created it. That is, the Christian vision of Nature is that it is the fruit of God's creative desire. As such Nature expresses a design of love and truth. Moreoever, God bids us to creatively tend to it as His good stewards. There is great beauty in this world because that's the way God made it. To notice this, and work for it, to me is simply one way to express profound thanks to God for the blessings he has showered on us in this life.
This is not exactly what you'd call a dark and gloomy vision of the world. Catholics honor and celebrate the creaturely aspects of life for (among other reasons) the Incarnation of Christ sanctifies the Body as the expression of God's creative and redemptive Will.
The biblical meaning,
the world, the universe the circle of the earth, the earth the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ